William chandler



(No MoMel.) W. CHANDLER.

I LAMP WIOK TRIMMER.

No. 538,506. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

W/ TNE SSE S: INVENTOI? NITED STATES ATENT Fries.

WILLIAM CHANDLER, OF NORTH BEND, CANADA.

LAMP-WICK TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,506, dated April30, 1895.

Application filed September 5 1894. Serial No. 522,165- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM CHANDLER, of North'Bend, in the Province ofBritish 00- lumbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Lamp-Wick Trimmers, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in certain details ofconstruction in lamp wick trimming shears, and has for its objects toproduce a superior device of the character mentioned, which will becheap to construct, will be adapted to retain the charred wick or snuffthat has been trimmed from the wick, and that will be afiorded a springaction of its upper blade, which will render the device more efficientin use.

To these ends my invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of parts, as is hereinafter described and indi-.

cated in the claims. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views shown.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved trimming-shears inpreferred form. Fig. 2 is a top view of the device; and Fig. 3 is a sideor edge view of the device, with its cutting-blades folded.

10, 11, respectively indicate the upper and lower blades of the trimmingshears when these parts are shaped as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

The blades of the improved wick trimmer can advantageously be producedfrom sheet steel, that is cut into marginal shape by suitable dies andthen pressed into form by other dies. The blades may also be produced bydrop forging, as is usual for small steel articles that are to bemanufactured in quantity and of an exact shape; it being also feasibleto cast these parts into form, if such a method of production should beconsidered most available.

In the illustrations of the improvement, the cutting blades 1O, 11, areindicated as produced from sheet steel, and, as represented, the lowerblade 10, is furnished with an integral upright guard flange 12, thatprojects from the back or outer'edge of said blade, at a right angle tothe upper surface of the same. The guard flange 12, extends around thecurved outer terminal of the lower blade 10, and terminates at .the heelof said blade, or near where it is pivoted to the upper blade.

The blade 10 and its upright guard flange 12, are upwardly curved aproper degree, as shown plainly in Fig. 3, the blade portion thatextends beyond the rear terminal of the guard flange being made flat toadapt it for the reception of ajointed connection with a similar portionon the top blade 11.

The upper cutting blade of the improved trimming shears has a generalconformation similar to that of the lower blade 10, and is pivoted on itby a rivet or by a screw and nut as shown at 13, the length of the upperblade from this pivotal connection to the outer face of the curvedportion of the guard flange 14 on its free end, being so proportionedthat said flanged end will have clearance with regard to the similarcurved flange on the bottom blade, and the blades be adapted for a closefolded adjustment, as is indicated in Fig. 3.

The upper blade 11 has a looped spring 15,

integrally formed on it near the pivot 13,

which spring projects upwardly and for effective service may extendabove the guard flange 14, the legs of this looped portion being formednearly parallel and at right angles with the level rear extension of theblade.

The spring 15, is designed to form a rear cross wall for the guardflange 14, that it is integral with, its most important function beingto graduate the pressure of the upper blade on the lower one so that thecutting edges will have a proper shearing action in use. Preferably, theback and cutting edge of each blade are made parallel as is representedin Fig. 2, which shape will best co-act with the similarly arched formof the blades, to adapt them to cut freely and easily, the spring 15,serving to give an assured cut, thereby trimming and giving the top orcut edge of the wick a slightly arched form which is the best shape forsaid edge to insureaclear and The blades 10, 11, are furnished with theusual bow handle pieces 16, 17, that are provided for the convenientmanipulation of the complete wick trimmer, the handle pieces beingunited with the blades by any suitable means, if they are not integrallyformed.

The peculiar formation of the blades and their guard flanges, togetherwith the spring at the rear end of the top blade, affords a continuousflange around the blades on their upper side, when said blades are in aclosed condition, thus providing an open recess for the reception of thecharred wick when it is completely severed by the blades from theunburned portion of the latter, which will prevent any escape of therefuse or snuif from 0d the blades until it is purposely removed. It isclaimed for this improved device, that it is simple, practical, superiorfor its use, capable of production at a low cost, and in the matter ofaffording a continuous refuse receptacle on the top of the blades, aswell as the provision of a slightly yielding spring for the upper blade,possessing advantageous features not found in other devices of the sametype.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a wick-trimmer, the combination with a cuttingblade, of a corresponding blade pivotod thereto and having an archedportion adjacent to the pivot, the same forming a transverse spring, asshown and described.

2. In awick trimmer, the combination With an arched and border-flangedlower blade having a perforated level portion at its heel, and a handlehaving a ring formation at its end, of an upper blade having a borderflange and arched to conform with the lower blade, and having aperforated level portion at its heel, an upright looped spring integralwith the upper blade and intervening its arched and level portions, saidblade being also provided with a handle similar to that of the lowerblade, and a pivot passed through the perforations in the level portionsof the blades, substantially as described.

WILLIAM CHANDLER.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL PAYNE, ANDREW LYoNs.

